Barnard, Gilbert Richard

He was the son of the Reverend Gilbert William Barnard (A, 1870-1876) and Beatrix, (daughter of General George Staunton CB) of Tidmington Cottage, Shipston-on-Stour, Worcestershire. He entered his father’s old House from Mr. E.G. North’s school at Farnborough. His two brothers also attended Winchester.

On leaving Winchester he went to South Africa to take up farming, and at the beginning of 1917 was gazetted into 1st Battalion, Cape Corps. This was a unit of mixed race troops, under European officers, raised to help drive the enemy out of German East Africa. At the beginning of April they were ordered to mobilise for action, and dug in around Kiromo, where their biggest problem appears to have been the giraffe damaging the telegraph wires, and the risk of fever. Barnard appears to have played little part in the operations of 1917 but later that year he proceeded with his regiment to Dar-es-Salaam, where they embarked for Lindi, and then faced a march to Njangao where they encountered the enemy.

During this action he was wounded on November 10th, 1917, and while recovering sustained an attack of malaria which he never wholly shook off. In May 1918 he went with his regiment to Egypt, and then on to Palestine. On July 21st he was taken seriously ill with malaria while on the march from Beit Nuba to Ranger’s Corner and died the next day.

His commanding officer wrote that “it is difficult to express our great regret at the loss to his battalion; he was loved by us all for his inherent good qualities, and he was a most keen and efficient young officer”.